


Life Has A Hopeful Undertone

by fitz-and-simmons (fitzandjemma)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AU I guess because Trip's a bartender, F/M, FitzSimmons can rap Migraine incredibly because I say so, Karaoke, but not totally out there, got a lot of 'gals being pals' in there, seriously please listen to migraine by top because then the whole story will make more sense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 12:43:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5164274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fitzandjemma/pseuds/fitz-and-simmons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘We picked the same power ballad [aka TOP song because I can] at karaoke so we did a duet’ </p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>When she finished she stopped short of dropping the mic, but could not help peacocking a little, pushing back her shoulders and motioning her hands in a ‘bring it’ gesture.</p>
<p>And then he started the his half.</p>
<p>‘Oh shit.’ she thought ‘He’s good’.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life Has A Hopeful Undertone

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written fic for a long while for many reasons and for many other reasons I've been wanting to do a bit more. I can't make it a regular thing as I am reaching a critical juncture in my current academic period and I desperately need to be revising. 
> 
> But anyway I was listening to this song and it was tickling me to imagine Jemma rapping it for no reason and then I found this prompt on one of those masterpost lists. 
> 
> Crucial listening for this fic is Migraine by Twenty One Pilots.

Whilst Jemma never seemed to find the same pleasure Daisy did at Karaoke Night there was something strangely cathartic about drunkenly judging people’s singing ability at the back of the bar, usually over something fruity with an umbrella. Daisy would usually give the victim bonus points if they were hot and Jemma would if they sung a song she particularly liked. It was one of their little ‘gals being pals’ rituals that they both so enjoyed.

Which was why she was so distraught when on this night Daisy turned, not for the boozy back booths, but to the Karaoke Machine itself.

“Calm your panties biochem, I’m not gonna make you sing.” Daisy said, answering her question before she even asked it. “ME on the other hand…” She continued, reaching the song list and scrolling through the options. “Hmm I think I’m in a pop-y mood.”

“But you never participate. Why now, after all this time? You’re not even drunk yet!” Jemma asked, looking over Daisy’s shoulder at the listings.

“Okay first off, I may have indulged in a little pre-drinking before you arrived at my apartment. Second of all, it’s a part of my game plan. You know this. We discussed this.”

“Oh! The ‘get Trip to go out with you’ plan. I don’t remember caterwauling in his place of work being on the plan.” Jemma glanced over to the bar, behind which Trip was serving a customer with a cheerful grin playing on his lips. “I think he likes you, strategy or no strategy.”

“Jemma, Trip likes EVERYONE. He has not met a single human being with he hasn’t had a wonderful conversation with. To make me stand out, I gotta expose his gritty underbelly.” She was still scrolling through the songs and a couple drunks had started to get pissed that she was continuing to hog the machine.

“Gritty underbelly?” Clearly Daisy had been reading too many relationship advice blogs.

“So I figure,” Daisy continued, ignoring her “if I completely embarrass myself in front of him then I’ll go over, he’ll tease me and I’ll tease him which will become flirting which will lead to sex and dates and shit.”

“This plan is flawed and weird.”

“Love you too. I think I might do this Chinese pop song, nothing else is really grabbing me. I uh… remember it from when I went to China. Thoughts?”

“Wait!” Jemma shouted, reaching out to still Daisy’s arm and pointing at the screen. “Put me down for that one!”

“What, really? I thought you didn’t want to do this? And isn’t this, like, rap?” Daisy turned round to give her the incredulous expression she did so well.

“Sort of. Trust me, I got this.” Jemma grinned.

“Alright Doctor Crazy, weird headache song it is. Now if we can focus on the problem at hand…”

~~~

Jemma’s leg jiggled up and down. Her belly was filled with anticipation; it was sloshing around and making her nauseous. She was starting to regret her decision a little. Daisy was actually doing alright at ‘Uh Oh’ and the track’s backing vocals actually sounded kinda familiar. Jemma made a mental note to look it up when she got home.

The song finished and Daisy left the stage, face blushed bright red, although if with pride or embarrassment was yet to be discovered. The screen changed to the words ‘Migraine - Twenty One Pilots’.

This was it. She got up and made her way over to the machine manager.

“Hi, it’s my song up next.”  She said breathlessly and the man dutifully handed her a microphone.

“Excuse me,” said a heavily accented voice behind her “I believe the next song is mine.” Jemma turned around to see a beautiful man with piercingly blue eyes and a nice shirt, addressing the manager.

“Oh, this is a little awkward.” She blurted out and waved the mic at him.

“You both picked the same song?” asked the dumpy man. Jemma turned back and nodded, presuming Scottish boy was doing the same. “Well,” the man continued “in these circumstances we try not to reply songs because otherwise we’d end up with the same five on repeat. Would you two be up for a duet? Or one of you could swap songs.”

“I’m happy to duet.” The boy said and, unwilling to give in, she agreed.

Next thing she knew, Jemma Simmons was on stage clutching a microphone in front of a crowd of people.

Regret. Instant regret.

She opened her mouth to offer the song to the boy and get out getoutofthereNOW. But then the intro started up and the familiarity and the knowledge that she could do this calmed her. The intro was too autotuned to sing along to and had been left in which meant that the first verse was rap and was entirely hers.

The competitive side of her cracked its metaphorical knuckles. ‘Let’s do this.’ It seemed to say.  

“I-I-I got a migraine and my pain will range from up, down and sideways…” She started and as soon as the crowd realised that she knew the fast pace punishing lyrics and that she was good, a huge cheer went up. Jemma rapped effortlessly, her many hours listening to this song and eidetic memory allowing her to perform flawlessly. Her nerves dissipated. She looked down and noticed the small bouncing ball on the lyric reader was reaching the end of the first half of the verse which sucked because she was really getting into this. When she finished she stopped short of dropping the mic, but could not help peacocking a little, pushing back her shoulders and motioning her hands in a ‘bring it’ gesture.

And then he started the his half.

‘Oh shit.’ she thought ‘He’s good’.

“Let it be said what the headache represents…” Strangely the lyrics sounded like magic in his accent and she knew she had not won yet. The drunk crowd were acting more like they were at a gig than a rubbishy bar karaoke, bouncing their arms to the beat, a couple even with their phone lights out. Their enthusiasm was catching and Jemma even found herself joining in with the drawn out ‘sss’ unprompted.

The boy finished the verse up and glancing her way raised an eyebrow cockily.

Well Jemma couldn’t be having that.

In response she lifted her microphone and began to sing the chorus with as much passion as she could. There were many things Jemma Simmons could do and singing was one of them. Perhaps she’d get him there, this stranger she’d somehow entered into a rap battle with despite the fact she had only come out for some lowkey girly times and - given the choice - she’d rather make out with said stranger than defeat him.

Although her Blue Eyed boy was making a remarkable fight back, as his singing talent wasn’t so bad either. He sung his line well and without a trace of embarrassment.

Jemma found confidence very sexy.

They moved on to the final two chorus lines and Jemma noticed with a panic that they were duet lines. They sang together and to the amazement of the both of them, together they were incredible. They lit up utterly with the feeling of partnership, making eye contact at the same time.

‘Oh’ Jemma thought. ‘This is something new.’

But before she had the chance for anymore pondering the next verse began. This time it was with less of an atmosphere of competition and more one of camaraderie.  

“I am not as fine as I seem” she began and was thrilled when the boy joined in with the “PARDON.”

“Me for yelling I’m telling you green” “GARDENS”

The rest of the song continued in much the same fashion, running on adrenaline and euphoria. It was like making a breakthrough and falling in love all at once. It was like that scene at the beginning of High School Musical.

Too soon the song came to an abrupt end and the crowd clapped one last time. Dizzy, Jemma made her way off the stage, patting her hair and pulling down her skirt hem. She looked around for Daisy and caught sight of her, although she was a little attached by the mouth to Trip to be of any use.

“So.. that was fun.” Came that now familiar voice from behind her. Jemma turned around so fast her neck made a cracking noise. Beautiful boy was gazing down at her, one hand cupped around the back of his neck, rubbing it.

“Jemma Simmons.” She grinned, reaching out a hand to shake.

He reached out and shook it but didn’t let go afterwards.

“Leo Fitz.”

“Nice to meet you Leo Fitz. I’ve got a feeling we’re going to get along.” **  
**

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to clarify that I have no idea how bar karaoke nights operate so I made it up. 
> 
> Also my brief outline for this was mostly just 'MOTHERFUCKING RAP BATTLE'. 
> 
> In this verse I like to imagine Daisy visited China for like a year to reconnect with her past or whatever and became a pop star but just didn't tell anyone. I also like to imagine she told Trip and that conversation led to making out. 
> 
> Also I know I keep referring to it as rapping but also to me it doesn't feel like rapping in the traditional sense? Just please listen to the song. 
> 
> If you liked it I would really appreciate you letting me know in comments because lack of response was part of the reason I stopped writing. Plus the fact I'm quite young and it's intimidating to be writing in the same place as actual adult professional writing people with qualifications.


End file.
